Why life's a beach for Olivia

LIFE is sweet for Olivia Hallinan, one of thousands of Manchester University students who have just taken their final exams. She's back tonight as Kim in a second series of Sugar Rush ( Channel 4, 10.50pm ), the drama inspired by Julie Burchill's novel.

LIFE is sweet for Olivia Hallinan, one of thousands of Manchester University students who have just taken their final exams.

But revision at the end of her three-year English and Drama degree course was just one part of a hectic timetable for the young actress.

She's back tonight as Kim in a second series of Sugar Rush ( Channel 4, 10.50pm ), the drama inspired by Julie Burchill's novel.

Eighteen months on, Kim is 17 and living life to the full on the Brighton lesbian scene - in her dreams. In reality, she's stuck in her bedroom doing A-level revision.

Best friend Sugar (Lenora Crichlow), a one-time major crush, is in a young offenders' institution and times have changed. Add Kim's dysfunctional family, including her sex addict mother, plus a new face in town, and there's plenty to look forward to over 10 episodes.

"I just take it in my stride, really," laughs Olivia. "Kim gets involved in many different situations. She's grown up and meets a new girl. But her family are as mucked up as ever. It's a tough time for Sugar this time around, because Kim is moving on with her life and she's inside."

Ignored

Now 21, London-raised Olivia ignored the advice of her actress mother Maggie Taylor not to go into the profession. "She knows how unpredictable it is and how it's the most unreliable industry in the world. She said, 'Go and do something proper, like law.' I thought about it for five minutes and knew I wanted to do this."

This series of Sugar Rush was filmed in Brighton over 10 weeks between February and April. "We have such a great crew and cast, it was just good to see everyone again."

So how did filming fit in with Olivia's studies? "I just had to do both and make sure I got the essays in and did the exams. It was hard, but worth it. Not finishing a degree at this late stage would have been silly, and the university understood.

"Knowing how much work is involved in filming it and worrying about not being able to cope, I was like, `Oh God, I'm going to have to defer and come back.'

"But then I thought I'd just try to do it all. You can only do your best and I'm glad I did. It was a real challenge. I'm so used to those trains now coming back and forth between Manchester and Brighton."

Dreadful finals

And what about those dreaded finals? "It was all right, I think, but you can never tell. It's over now, so I've been out celebrating a lot in Manchester."

Also seen in Murder In Suburbia, Holby City, Crossroads, Doctors and The Bill, Olivia played Ellie in Manchester-filmed Girls In Love, the CITV series based on the best-selling books by Jacqueline Wilson, which co-starred Amy Kwolek and Zaraah Abrahams, who now plays Coronation Street factory girl Joanne.

The first series of Sugar Rush engaged an older audience. "I think most people knew about my acting in my department. But outside university I did get recognised."

Olivia can also be seen on stage in Manchester. Last night she appeared in the premiere of Wake Me Later, a new play by Nicola Schofield, which is being performed this week at the John Thaw Studio Theatre in the university's Oxford Road complex. Set in Manchester, it co-stars fellow final-year students Eleanor Samson, Sally Crawshaw and Anna Clayton and is directed by Alexandra Barson.

There's also talk of a third series of Sugar Rush, as well as other projects. "There are some exciting things in the pipeline but they're not confirmed yet. But I've had enough of writing essays! I'm definitely going on holiday this summer but then hope to be working.

"Acting full time is the plan and I'd love to get a job in Manchester - then I've got an excuse to stay here!"